Institute News

Gov. Scott Signs Legislation Supporting Floridians with Alzheimer’s
June 18, 2014 FL Governor's Press Office
Governor Rick Scott announced he has signed House Bill 709 and House Bill 711, which creates a new Alzheimer Disease research program and further addresses the needs of people with Alzheimer’s and their families that care for them.

Why all the fuss about coconut?
May 29, 2014 The Washington Post
“I get asked about coconut oil on a daily basis,” says Amanda Smith, medical director at the University of South Florida’s Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute in Tampa. She says she has heard mixed reviews from patients who’ve tried it and is conducting a study to determine whether cognitive benefits exist. “Some say that it helps, and others have perceived no benefit. But we don’t have the data to make specific recommendations....”

Coffee May Save Eyesight and 4 More Surprising Benefits
May 8, 2014 Emax Health
A 2012 study led by Dr. Chuanhai Cao, a neuroscientist at the University of South Florida (USF) College of Pharmacy and the USF Health Byrd Alzheimer's Institute, found that the blood caffeine levels of participants who had mild cognitive impairment (MCI) that progressed to dementia during a two-to-four year follow-up were 51 percent lower than those whose MCI stayed stableduring the same time period.....

‘Angels’ fight to find cure for rare genetic disorder
February 23, 2014 Fairfield-Sun.com
Edwin Weeber, a professor of molecular pharmacology and physiology at the University of South Florida, and Benjamin Philpot, a professor of cell and molecular physiology and member of the University of North Carolina’s Neuroscience Center, are the two leading doctors who are testing and advocating for a cure for AS.....

Memory Lane
January 31, 2014 Florida Business Observer
Development came to a halt when the real estate market collapsed in Southwest Florida, but no one got any younger. The result is that demand has continued to increase for facilities that can care for people with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia while the supply of special housing for them hasn’t kept pace.....

Multi Health Benefits of Coconut Oil
October 31, 2013 The LuckyVitamin.com Health & Wellness Blog
Coconut oil has been a wonderful product in many different ways. Used as a natural supplement, cooking oil, skin moisturizer, and cosmetic lotions, a recent study has added another potential health benefit to this incredible product.....

Stress-related protein speeds progression of Alzheimer’s disease
September 3, 2013 USF Health News
A stress-related protein genetically linked to depression, anxiety and other psychiatric disorders contributes to the acceleration of Alzheimer’s disease, a new study led by researchers at the University of South Florida has found.....

Age-related research highlighted during NIA director’s visit to USF
August 29, 2013 USF Health News
The director of the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Aging yesterday visited the USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute, the state’s only freestanding Alzheimer’s center offering clinical assessment, laboratory research, education and care under one roof.....

Brain Health: Can coconut oil stop Alzheimer’s?
May 2013 Health Radar
When he was 53, Steve Newport began to suffer from Alzheimer’s disease and kept getting worse — until five years later, when his wife and caregiver, Dr. Mary Newport, discovered coconut oil.....

One wife's crusade: Coconut oil helped husband with Alzheimer's
March 31, 2013 Ocala Star-Banner
The first sign of trouble for Steve Newport was confusion. An accountant by trade, he suddenly began to struggle even with basic math. And although he was a whiz with technology, he found that he couldn't operate a simple calculator, let alone a computer......